Tampa’s Yearly Nightmare Before Christmas-Themed Rave Returns With Its Best Lineup Yet

Every year, the Hallucination family comes together to throw a rave unlike any other. Themed after the classic The Nightmare Before Christmas movie, Hallucination Before Christmas remains a staple of Tampa’s club scene. The event will take place at The Castle in Ybor City on December 16, with three rooms showcasing different shades of electronic music. For us, one room stands out: Oogie Boogie’s Dungeon.

Oogie Boogie’s Dungeon will fittingly take place in The Dungeon room of the Castle, complete with decorations straight out of the movie. This room focuses on the underground styles of techno, house and electro, and this year’s lineup includes a few HBC veterans and a long-running favorite of the underground scene.

The legendary Josh Wink heads the room with an extended set, which is a bit of victory lap for Tampa after its underground scene celebrated a huge year. Also, DJ Three and Öona Dahl return to HBC after playing exceptional sets last year. DJ Three, a key figure in influencing Tampa’s early rave scene, has played Tampa a few times since HBC last year, delivering some outstanding sets. His eclecticism and skills behind the decks make for a unique journey every time.

Meanwhile, All Day I Dream and Hallucienda’s Öona Dahl channels playa tech and psychedelic melodies when DJing, a welcome juxtaposition to the darker theming behind Oogie Boogie’s Dungeon. Rounding out the room is Tampa-native Brian Busto, who co-wrote the track “The Real Shit” on Hallucienda‘s Phono Obscura 2 compilation album earlier this year and has been a long-running member of the Hallucination family. Busto, a skilled producer, DJ and promoter, helped establish Tampa as a hub for underground music in the 90s. 20 years later, he continues to bring great events and DJs to the city while releasing new music.

The Dungeon room has become a go-to destination for Floridians looking for an authentic underground experience, largely in part to the Serious Soul presents parties organized by Brian Busto. For early arrivals, Dose, a South Florida tech house DJ, will open up Oogie Boogie’s Dungeon. For anyone looking for other types of electronic music, HBC’s two other rooms will provide nice alternatives: Christmastown will host dubstep and bass-heavy DJs while Halloweentown will showcase EDM and more traditional rave music.